If only we'd met sooner
by yumietokachika
Summary: When a boy is set out to kill, he kills. But a slight mistake leads to an unexpected turn of events, when an old woman- who is left a widow- and the boy meet, and realise they have something in common with each other... Content contains mild gore.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Yumie here! Haven't been on this site for a long while, until I got a mail saying one of my stories were favourited. O_O Shock! But a pleasant surprise indeed :D **

**This is my first Rurouni Kenshin fanfiction, so please R&R. I wrote this a few years back and finally decided to type it out; it couldn't stay in my cupboard forever! I hope my writing has improved...! **

* * *

><p>"Mr. Imaizumi. Your orders were for me to dispose of his body, correct?"<p>

"That is correct."

"I failed. I sent him to his death, but there was someone… I was not prepared for that sudden appearance… and so, I did not dispose of it. I am sorry. I am prepared to pay for my failure."

There was a brief silence, then a cackle of laughter.

"I know. But well done."

The boy whose face was engulfed in shadows, his expression stoic, body motionless, suddenly jerked his head upwards in surprise.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"You, my friend, are like a fox! How cunning. Just tell me if you want to kill another, no need to go hunting again..." The coarse voice filled the room. The boy who had been standing still the entire time bowed, the moonlight illuminating the bright red of his hair. An object protruded from the sides of his shadow. He held onto it defensively. When there was no more to say, the adolescent spun around, his hands still on the hem of the object.

Before he left, there was another sinister laughter. He tilted his head at an angle, enough to keep an eye on the other. There was a sound of fingers clinking against the expensive oak wood.

"Find that person." The voice regurgitated, this time more solemn. "We don't need any witnesses."

The boy gave a slight nod, then sped off into the darkness.

* * *

><p>The maggots were moving into the whiteness of his eyes, digging out the hollow soul that rested beneath this dead man's body. Some penetrated from his nostrils, struggling to find a way out. They bit into his skin, exposing both flesh and bones.<p>

His intestines were intact still, but his fingers were not. Both thumbs were arranged neatly beside him. The only thing that was really missing was his last finger. A small dagger pierced neatly through his abdomen, though no blood was seen around that area.

Hiroshi Sato, chief detective, made a prompt statement upon seeing the victim's deformed body. "Poor man," he held on to his nose, "killing himself Yakuza style." The others around him laughed, out of courtesy, but none laughed when he added, "should'a killed himself with pills instead."

Kamiya Kaoru sat lifeless in front of a portrait she and her husband – May he rest in peace – took about 35 years ago, when they had just met. She had been 27 then, probably too old for marriage. Before he appeared in her life, she had been –admittedly – obsessed with work; she thought of nothing else. The men she had previously dated made her feel ashamed of herself. She would be the most imperfect wife, and an embarrassment to their household name. Kaoru could not cook, and never did any household chores. They made her seem much less feminine.

He, however, set her free from all that stoic hierarchy pattern that occurred so frequently in Japan in that era. Most importantly, he let her lead the life she chose to, as a forensic scientist. The only thing she regretted was not giving him her full support to be a politician.

She had thought that being a politician would mean that he would not spend much time with her.

Ironically, it was her who spent the least time with him. And now, it was too late.

* * *

><p>"Ken-san," The daughter of the man he worked for smiled, "You have dirtied your clothes…"<p>

"Leave me." His voice was void of any emotions.

The girl sat back, startled. He had never been this cold towards her before. She then giggled, resting her delicately slender hands on her hair, combing her lustrous dark hair that flowed down to her waist. She leaned slightly towards him, puckering her full lips, hoping to get his attention.

Wrapping both arms around him, she cooed softly, "once your next mission has been completed, I will ask Father to-"

"I said, leave me."

Megumi jumped away from him.

"If that is what you wish, Ken-san! But you will marry me, I assure you that."

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for now! I'll probably add in the next chapter if someone favourites it or comments on it. Please give constructive criticism if you have to! Thank you ^^<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm truly sorry about the weird Japanese names. I was thinking if I should make [insert a random Rurouni Kenshin male character. i.e. Saito Hajime] Kaoru's deceased husband but that would be cruel, and can you imagine Kaoru and Saito together? I can't . -shudder- So ignore the names! Besides, they'll only pop up once in a while. **

**Also, if I'm using terms such as 'FBI' inappropriately (this is Japan! FBI!), please help me correct it. I tried to do some research, but gave up ;_; Thanks!**

* * *

><p>When her eyes flickered down to his neck and continued to wander down to his hands, her instincts told her that he had not killed himself. She had known even before seeing his body.<p>

Kaoru had just wanted to be sure.

It hadn't been her imagination after all. There was no doubt about it.

She had seen a shadow in the darkness, but her eyesight was deteoriating. She hadn't known whether her eyes were playing tricks on her - again. Now, she felt a sense of calmness sweep over her. She was satisfied. Of course At-chan had not killed himself. He loved his life far too much, had so many dreams left to fulfill...

Still, she was happy now knowing that Atsuke Maeda had indeed treasured his life, and kept his promise till the end. _He was a loving husband, and would have been a great father, but…_What was she to do next?

Kaoru decided to find the killer and deal with him. Leaving things to the FBI had always made her feel uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>Though Kenshin was sure that the lady did not see him, he had seen her.<p>

And although it had been a single glance, he managed to capture almost everything about her appearance.

When he had seen her, her hair was not arranged into a coiffure of the modern type, but simply middle-parted with a dark purple ribbon. It was tied into a loose ponytail at her shoulders, where it continued to flow down all the way to her waist. The fringes of her black (almost graying?) hair moulded her face into a perfect, oval shape.

Her face prominently showed one or two wrinkles on both sides of the eyes. She was not tall, but petite. He guessed that she was around the late 50s or early 60s.

He had not killed her because she was merely there at the wrong time, the wrong place, and murdering an elderly woman was against his will. What could she possibly do?

What he hadn't known was that she had been a forensic scientist, working with the _Kouan-chousacho_*****. And that she knew more than she was supposed to.

Mr. Imaizumi had ordered him to kill her.

"Make it look like an accident," he had said.

In his many years of torturing and killing people, this was the first time Kenshin felt scared. He had no intentions of killing that woman.

She was defenseless, and he just could not bring himself to do it.

That, and she had reminded him of someone, but he could not quite place whom.

* * *

><p>Imaizumi placed both feet on his desk, lit a cigarette, and sighed. He had never felt this calm before, not since his wife had died. She had been the one who managed all the household matters. With her gone, he had to balance his new life, both as a politican and a father. At least all his competitors were gone. Atsuke had been the greatest threat - the people loved him for his charm, and undoubtedly his wit. It would have been illogical not to vote for him.<p>

Megumi, his daughter, was a chore. She demanded far too many things, but never once offered gratitude. That girl did not know the difficulty of being the sole breadwinner.

Imaziumi doubted she ever will.

What had worried him most was when Megumi started to talk to his dog, Kenshin, more than she was supposed to. That wasn't the only thing he worried about. Everytime she looked at the boy, her expression would soften, and a dreamy, far-off look would cloud her face.

He had refused to believe it, but the sign was becoming more evident.

She was in love with the swordsman.

* * *

><p>A knock on the door was all it took to frustrate Kaoru. She was busy; why couldn't anyone see that? Recently, there had been hundreds of handwritten letters flooding her house, telling her how sorry they were for her loss. At first, Kaoru felt grateful that people cared. Now, it was just starting to annoy her.<p>

"Who is it?"

There was a momentarary pause.

"It's me!"

Kaoru grew more agitated by the minute. How was she supposed to identify a stranger by his voice?

Grunting, she slowly stood up, almost losing her balance. The noise her slippers made on the wooden floor sounded as if someone was being slapped - which was what she intended to do once she opened the door.

Looking through the peep-hole, she saw a man dressed entirely in a black suit, with his hair combed neatly to the side. His eyes suddenly drew closer to the peep-hole, startling her.

"Hello? Are you there, Kaoru-san?"

The old woman stared at the man. She still could not recognize him. She tried wrecking her brains, but to no avail.

Finally, she asked, "who are you?"

The man disappeared instantly. Then, he appeared into her visual field again, this time holding a card. He looked offended, somehow.

"Detective Sato, ma'am."

Kaoru sighed. It was probably about her husband. She replied warily, "I don't wish to see anyone right now."

Detective Sato lowered his card and grimaced. "But Kaoru-san, we found a letter in his pocket and it was addressed to you-" This instantly piqued the woman's interest. Unlocking the door, she invited the man into her house. He bowed, out of respect, but mainly because he was glad that he could finally take a seat. His legs had been aching since he was told to walk personally to her house.

However, Kaoru was too excited to offer him a seat, leaving him no choice but to stand.

"Where is my letter?" She exaggerated the word 'my'. Knowing her husband, it was probably a vital letter, as he would never write a letter without a purpose.

The man searched his pocket, but when his hands came up again, they were empty.

* * *

><p><em>*These Public Security Intelligence Agency license to kill mobsters are the closest thing to Japan's FBI. Apparently they are untouchable and somewhat not talked about. They look into both domestic and international affairs. Most of what they do is kept secret from the population.<em>


End file.
